Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Softball
The softball season here in Kuwait runs from early fall to early spring--not through the hot summer months, for obvious reasons! Aubrey played well, both at pitch and at short. She played for Kuwait Little League (who knew?) and also for her school. The school softball tournament was held in Dubai--right at the base of Burj Dubai. Last weekend we spent Saturday evening at her sports banquet, held at the Radisson SAS on the shore of the Gulf. Amazing place--there's a Maritime Museum attached to it, which showcases the traditional Kuwaiti dhow. The banquet was held on the big, open balcony, overlooking the water and the lights of the city--it was beautiful. And I stood in the food line and chatted with the U.S. Ambassador to Kuwait. Again I say--whose life?? :-)
March-April 2009
The week after we returned from the States, we got to move…again. And once again we asked ourselves, “Why in the world do we have all this stuff ??” But the move was more than worth it—we now have our very own villa, about 500 yards from the shore of the Gulf. Like Joshua said when he saw the pictures—if we have to be in Kuwait, we might as well do it in style! :-) It’s a great place—three floors, four bedrooms (one just waiting for Alexis, or MacGregor, or any of you…), multiple decks and courtyards…oh, and a pool. Inside our front gate. Definitely the biggest chapter in “Whose Life is This, Anyway?”. We have flowers in the window boxes and singing birds in the palm trees…amazing. We are doing everything we can to share it with the people around us, and hope to be able to use it to reach out to many on Arifjan and others here in Kuwait. And we’d love to host any of you that care to visit! Come and see us in Kuwait!
February 2009
We got to travel home to the States, and on our way to Kansas City stopped for a couple of days--first in Illinois, to visit my sister Cherie and her family, and Dick’s family in Rockford, and then on to Westfield, Indiana to visit my mom in her new home, and also my brother Doug and his family. Great to be able to see them, and wonderful to get home to Kansas City and see the family there. We had lots of family dinners, which I miss so much—loved being together and listening to everyone talk and laugh. We celebrated Valentine’s Day—Dick got his banjo. :-) And he thought he was pretty cool carrying it through the airport and onto the plane, too. Anabelle came into the bathroom with me every morning to put on makeup…and we got to go to Pleasant Valley and see lots of friends. It was all too short, but a precious time.
Birthday in Kuwait
Aubrey and I share the same birthday, and to celebrate we all (plus Aubrey’s friend, Heather) went to dinner at the famous Tower Restaurant, located 82 kilometers up the main tower (you may notice a pattern here…) in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Other than the fact that they don’t even offer a menu (one of those “if you have to ask the price you can’t afford it” situations…) and the ensuing trauma of watching my daughter and her friend consume nothing but grapes and cheese (“I’m paying $50 a head for you to eat grapes?!?!?”)…it was lovely. With the lights of Kuwait City on one side and the Persian Gulf on the other, it was definitely another entry in the ongoing “Whose life is this, anyway?” game.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Christmas in Germany
For one lovely week in December we got to leave the land of seventy degrees and sand, and spend the holidays in Starnberg, Germany with Matt and Meghan. It was cold, and a little snowy, and wonderful. We played lots of cards, and lots of hinky-pinky (“What’s a hinky-pinky for Dee or Dum’s German toy?” “Tweedle Driedl” :-) and generally just enjoyed being with family. Alexis, Joshua and MacGregor met us there, and it was so good to be with all of them, and with Matt, Meghan, Jeremy and Layla. Wish we could have had the whole family there!
Dick and I stayed at a lovely little pensione just down the street from Matt and Meghan’s place. Alexis and Aubrey stayed with them, and the boys had an apartment a short distance away—one of their friends who was out of town for the holidays. We walked to and from the pensione each morning and night, and felt very German…often the kids “walked us home”, which was pretty special. We all went into Munich, and went on several long walks to the nearby forest, lake, and city of Starnberg. Again—very German, very healthy, and very fun! Jeremy and Layla love being out of doors, and it’s a credit to Matt and Meghan that they get to do it often, especially considering the time and effort it takes to get them both sufficiently bundled to brave the cold! Their new place (just down the street from where they used to live) is lovely—more room for them all, and a big veranda, as well as a small yard—fairly rare in Germany. And Meghan has made it a beautiful home. Dick even got to help with some projects while we were there—hanging shelves and installing lights and a table—so that was fun for him, and much appreciated by Matt and Meghan.
The sweetest times of all were spent worshipping together—Matt played the guitar and we all sang, and he spoke briefly about what was on his heart. We got to pray together, and thank our good and gracious Lord for His unspeakable gift, and truly celebrate the reason for the season.
We got to experience New Year’s Eve, or “Sylvester”, in Germany, which involved more cards, much laughter and good food, and tons of fireworks, set off over the nearby lake and from the backyards of homes all around us—pretty impressive. We flew back to Kuwait on New Year’s Day, sad to leave but so grateful for the chance to be with some of the dearest on earth to us. Hope your holidays were happy, and full of the presence of Him “with whom we have to do…”!
Dick and I stayed at a lovely little pensione just down the street from Matt and Meghan’s place. Alexis and Aubrey stayed with them, and the boys had an apartment a short distance away—one of their friends who was out of town for the holidays. We walked to and from the pensione each morning and night, and felt very German…often the kids “walked us home”, which was pretty special. We all went into Munich, and went on several long walks to the nearby forest, lake, and city of Starnberg. Again—very German, very healthy, and very fun! Jeremy and Layla love being out of doors, and it’s a credit to Matt and Meghan that they get to do it often, especially considering the time and effort it takes to get them both sufficiently bundled to brave the cold! Their new place (just down the street from where they used to live) is lovely—more room for them all, and a big veranda, as well as a small yard—fairly rare in Germany. And Meghan has made it a beautiful home. Dick even got to help with some projects while we were there—hanging shelves and installing lights and a table—so that was fun for him, and much appreciated by Matt and Meghan.
The sweetest times of all were spent worshipping together—Matt played the guitar and we all sang, and he spoke briefly about what was on his heart. We got to pray together, and thank our good and gracious Lord for His unspeakable gift, and truly celebrate the reason for the season.
We got to experience New Year’s Eve, or “Sylvester”, in Germany, which involved more cards, much laughter and good food, and tons of fireworks, set off over the nearby lake and from the backyards of homes all around us—pretty impressive. We flew back to Kuwait on New Year’s Day, sad to leave but so grateful for the chance to be with some of the dearest on earth to us. Hope your holidays were happy, and full of the presence of Him “with whom we have to do…”!
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Christmas in the Mailroom
Its hard to believe its Christmas when the temperatures are in the 70's and the sun is shining, so we tried to infuse the mailroom with alittle Christmas spirit. We played Christmas carols every day during mail call, and on Christmas Eve served homemade Christmas cookies (courtesy of Aubrey and Mali, our maid!) and eggnog and wassail. I had made a tree out of poster board for the wall, and as people came in to pick up their mail we gave them a circle cut from red or green construction paper, and asked them to decorate and hang an ornament on our tree. Some were silly, but most were warm Christmas wishes, and many reflected the true meaning of the season. It was great to see the evidence of the presence of God, even here in the Kuwaiti desert--"Joy to the World...Christ is Born!"
A Day in the Desert: Traditional Kuwaiti Desert Celebration
Our neighbors, the Kandory family, invited us to join them for a traditional Kuwaiti desert camp experience in early December. Every year after Ramadan, many Kuwaitis set up tents in the desert and stay there for several months. It has, I believe, to do with returning to their roots and heritage, and I’ve heard that there may be a monetary reward from the government involved. It is a somewhat altered version of their heritage, since their camps include generators that run everything from the lights surrounding the camp—many-colored and very elaborate—to big screen TV’s. But a tradition, nonetheless, and one we had a great time experiencing.
Shariffa provided us with the map coordinates, and we set off with Lee, the Australian hottie who is the voice of my GPS, to guide us. You haven’t lived until you’ve driven for miles and then are instructed to “turn right, and follow the highlighted path” which meanders across the open desert. But we made it.
The afternoon was spent watching the children fly kites, and play games like 3-legged race and wheelbarrow. There was a tent for the women, and a separate one for the men, and the men were in charge of cooking the meat (large skewers of beef, lamb and chicken) while the women shucked corn and laid out the side dishes. We lounged on cushions in the tent and ate some really good food—Iranian flatbread and Jamaican curry, brought by one of the other guests. I did get to take my camera to this event, and really enjoyed trying to capture some of the feel of the place and the people.
Falconry is a highly revered tradition among Kuwaitis, and we were visited by a falconer who allowed us to get a close look at this powerful bird, and even hold him if we so desired. (Aubrey and I so desired. Dick and Jake passed.)
Everyone took a turn at shooting the sh’vertze (I’ll pretend I know how to spell that) which is a pellet gun, and is considered an integral part of the celebration. Yusef and his bride were there (those are her high-heeled boots in the sand) and she looked much happier. Sara and Aiesha are very close to their brother, and it was fun watching them interact. Sara helped Aubrey put a shawl on her head and around her shoulders, just like hers—it was very windy, and by evening quite cool.
There was a herd of camels at the top of the next rise, and we got to see them galloping in their disjointed way into camp at the end of the day.
And after dark there were lots of fireworks—little ones for the kids to light, and big ones set off by the men to the enthusiastic delight of the crowd. A wonderful time, spent with friendly and gracious people.
Shariffa provided us with the map coordinates, and we set off with Lee, the Australian hottie who is the voice of my GPS, to guide us. You haven’t lived until you’ve driven for miles and then are instructed to “turn right, and follow the highlighted path” which meanders across the open desert. But we made it.
The afternoon was spent watching the children fly kites, and play games like 3-legged race and wheelbarrow. There was a tent for the women, and a separate one for the men, and the men were in charge of cooking the meat (large skewers of beef, lamb and chicken) while the women shucked corn and laid out the side dishes. We lounged on cushions in the tent and ate some really good food—Iranian flatbread and Jamaican curry, brought by one of the other guests. I did get to take my camera to this event, and really enjoyed trying to capture some of the feel of the place and the people.
Falconry is a highly revered tradition among Kuwaitis, and we were visited by a falconer who allowed us to get a close look at this powerful bird, and even hold him if we so desired. (Aubrey and I so desired. Dick and Jake passed.)
Everyone took a turn at shooting the sh’vertze (I’ll pretend I know how to spell that) which is a pellet gun, and is considered an integral part of the celebration. Yusef and his bride were there (those are her high-heeled boots in the sand) and she looked much happier. Sara and Aiesha are very close to their brother, and it was fun watching them interact. Sara helped Aubrey put a shawl on her head and around her shoulders, just like hers—it was very windy, and by evening quite cool.
There was a herd of camels at the top of the next rise, and we got to see them galloping in their disjointed way into camp at the end of the day.
And after dark there were lots of fireworks—little ones for the kids to light, and big ones set off by the men to the enthusiastic delight of the crowd. A wonderful time, spent with friendly and gracious people.
A Kuwaiti Wedding Celebration
There is a Kuwaiti family that lives in the other apartment on our floor, and they have been very gracious to us. They have sent trays of traditional Kuwaiti sweets over, brought by their youngest (and English-speaking) daughters, and boxes of goodies from the local bakery. The two younger daughters are Sara (SA-dha) and Aiesha (i-EE-sha) and they are 19 and 21. Their mom is older and speaks no English, but they have a stepmom named Shariffa (sha-DHE-fa) who is originally from South Carolina. She evidently married and later divorced their father, whom their mother also divorced, and now the mom and stepmom and kids are one big, happy family. Even in Kuwait. Anyway, Shariffa recently invited Aubrey and I to join them for a wedding celebration for the bride of one of the brothers, Yusef. We felt very honored to be included, but weren’t exactly prepared for what she told us next.
She explained that this would be a females-only wedding party/ceremony, and that we should think "Hollywood gala" for attire!! EXCUSE ME????? And to think I left my prom dress at home…
Well, Aubrey and I did some major power-shopping, and even found an adorable little party dress for my formerly tomboy daughter. She enjoyed the whole thing, and even wore a little makeup. New horizons! The really sad part for me was that I was not able to shoot any pictures—the women are all unveiled, and so it wasn’t allowed. It was very hard for me to not have my camera, but was quite an affair, and a wonderful experience.
When we arrived we were ushered into the main living area of Shariffa’s home, where all the furniture had been pushed to the walls or removed, and a single row of chairs set around three sides of the room. At the other end was a raised platform and two very regal chairs, with an elaborate arch and big, clear bowls of beautiful fresh flowers. This would be where the bride and groom would sit, when they arrived. Which they didn’t for quite a while. The first part of the evening (two or three hours) was spent dancing to very LOUD, nonstop Arabic music, and sampling sweets and drinks from the trays brought around by the staff. The room slowly filled with about forty or so Kuwaiti women and girls, unveiled and VERY elaborately made-up, in their finest party dresses. The eye makeup was amazing—every color of the rainbow, and more—bright pink and yellow, and some hefty false eyelashes. There were lots of stick-on tattoos, and lots of bling.
There were, as you can imagine, some really great shots to be had...looking down the row of women as they watched the dancing, and the line of their profiles, similar and yet very distinct...it killed me. But it was fascinating, and I was honored that they included us. Even if it did mean getting up and dancing to Arabic music. And who knew that would be so hard?? I mean, I'm not a great dancer, but I feel like I'm at least a step above Seinfeld’s Elaine, but now I'm not so sure. But we did it. We danced with colored scarves in our hands, and tried to learn the unique hand twirling and hair tossing moves. We got sprayed with musk (someone would periodically come around the room with a fancy bottle and spray us all—presumably to keep us smelling good despite the rigors of our dancing!) and we leaned over the occasionally proffered incense burner, again carried around the room, and had it wafted over us. Some of the ladies even wafted it to their underarms…we refrained. We did not participate in the belly-dance songs...for those they all tie sashes (some with bells and clanking coins) around their booties and shake, rattle and roll for what seems like hours on end--pretty amazing. I have to admit that when I got home I had to try it in the mirror--can I actually even make my butt move like that? Answer: yes. But I'll not be doing it in public. :-)
At one point late in the evening (hours into it...) the groom finally shows up with his entourage of men. When it's almost time for him to arrive, the women all get their abiyahs and veils and transform from a room full of glitz and glam and many-hued party dresses to a sea of black...very, very fascinating. And even though they did not cover their faces, I still found myself checking to see the hems of some of their dresses, peeking out of their abiyahs, to make sure of who was whom.
Finally at about midnight Aubrey and I were ready to go—five hours is a lot of smiling and nodding and dancing—but just as we were getting ready to make our exit, Fatima, one of Sara and Aiesha’s older sisters came and took me by the hand and led me into the next room, where a huge buffet was spread…so Aubrey and I traded some eyebrow looks (“What are we doing? I thought we were going!” “Not yet. Shhh.”) and proceeded to fill out plates with very beautifully presented and completely unfamiliar food. About half way through I saw a huge chafing dish of very tender-looking meat and explained to Aubrey that it was most likely lamb. I needn’t have bothered…she pointed out to me that the garnish for this lovely dish was, indeed, the lamb’s skull…and when I quibbled she pointed and said, “Teeth!” and she was right. We skipped the lamb. :-)
I’ll always wish I had photographs, but Aubrey and I will long remember the wedding celebration with our Kuwaiti friends!
She explained that this would be a females-only wedding party/ceremony, and that we should think "Hollywood gala" for attire!! EXCUSE ME????? And to think I left my prom dress at home…
Well, Aubrey and I did some major power-shopping, and even found an adorable little party dress for my formerly tomboy daughter. She enjoyed the whole thing, and even wore a little makeup. New horizons! The really sad part for me was that I was not able to shoot any pictures—the women are all unveiled, and so it wasn’t allowed. It was very hard for me to not have my camera, but was quite an affair, and a wonderful experience.
When we arrived we were ushered into the main living area of Shariffa’s home, where all the furniture had been pushed to the walls or removed, and a single row of chairs set around three sides of the room. At the other end was a raised platform and two very regal chairs, with an elaborate arch and big, clear bowls of beautiful fresh flowers. This would be where the bride and groom would sit, when they arrived. Which they didn’t for quite a while. The first part of the evening (two or three hours) was spent dancing to very LOUD, nonstop Arabic music, and sampling sweets and drinks from the trays brought around by the staff. The room slowly filled with about forty or so Kuwaiti women and girls, unveiled and VERY elaborately made-up, in their finest party dresses. The eye makeup was amazing—every color of the rainbow, and more—bright pink and yellow, and some hefty false eyelashes. There were lots of stick-on tattoos, and lots of bling.
There were, as you can imagine, some really great shots to be had...looking down the row of women as they watched the dancing, and the line of their profiles, similar and yet very distinct...it killed me. But it was fascinating, and I was honored that they included us. Even if it did mean getting up and dancing to Arabic music. And who knew that would be so hard?? I mean, I'm not a great dancer, but I feel like I'm at least a step above Seinfeld’s Elaine, but now I'm not so sure. But we did it. We danced with colored scarves in our hands, and tried to learn the unique hand twirling and hair tossing moves. We got sprayed with musk (someone would periodically come around the room with a fancy bottle and spray us all—presumably to keep us smelling good despite the rigors of our dancing!) and we leaned over the occasionally proffered incense burner, again carried around the room, and had it wafted over us. Some of the ladies even wafted it to their underarms…we refrained. We did not participate in the belly-dance songs...for those they all tie sashes (some with bells and clanking coins) around their booties and shake, rattle and roll for what seems like hours on end--pretty amazing. I have to admit that when I got home I had to try it in the mirror--can I actually even make my butt move like that? Answer: yes. But I'll not be doing it in public. :-)
At one point late in the evening (hours into it...) the groom finally shows up with his entourage of men. When it's almost time for him to arrive, the women all get their abiyahs and veils and transform from a room full of glitz and glam and many-hued party dresses to a sea of black...very, very fascinating. And even though they did not cover their faces, I still found myself checking to see the hems of some of their dresses, peeking out of their abiyahs, to make sure of who was whom.
Finally at about midnight Aubrey and I were ready to go—five hours is a lot of smiling and nodding and dancing—but just as we were getting ready to make our exit, Fatima, one of Sara and Aiesha’s older sisters came and took me by the hand and led me into the next room, where a huge buffet was spread…so Aubrey and I traded some eyebrow looks (“What are we doing? I thought we were going!” “Not yet. Shhh.”) and proceeded to fill out plates with very beautifully presented and completely unfamiliar food. About half way through I saw a huge chafing dish of very tender-looking meat and explained to Aubrey that it was most likely lamb. I needn’t have bothered…she pointed out to me that the garnish for this lovely dish was, indeed, the lamb’s skull…and when I quibbled she pointed and said, “Teeth!” and she was right. We skipped the lamb. :-)
I’ll always wish I had photographs, but Aubrey and I will long remember the wedding celebration with our Kuwaiti friends!
Friday, December 19, 2008
Soccer Weekend in Dubai
We are back in Dubai for Aubrey’s soccer tournament, and this place is quite incredible. Home of the world’s largest mall (complete with indoor ski slope) and the world’s tallest building, this is a city of extremes. We visited the Emirates Mall, which besides being huge is beautiful— wide expanses of marble and glass. The Dubai Mall opened just this week, and it is also impressive. There is a huge aquarium where we stood and watched divers feed the fish. And standing in the taxi line which runs through the valet parking lot of the Emirates Mall is an experience—it looks more like a grand ballroom than a parking garage, and has to hold the world record for most automobile-dollar value per square foot. Here the Lexus and Mercedes drivers are low man on the totem pole…and Lamboughinis, Porsches and Bentleys are commonplace. I’m pretty sure peeling in and out of there in front of the taxi queue was a major incentive for some of these car owners…and probably more than a few salesmen got the additional commission for gull-wing doors after breathing the words “Emirates Mall…”. Fun to watch!
But the truly amazing sights in Dubai are the buildings—each one trying to outdo its neighbors, with expanses of colored glass and every shape you can think of. There’s one currently under construction that is a disc—shaped like an aspirin standing on edge! We were fortunate enough to stay at a hotel right in the middle of Sheik el Zaheid Road, the main thoroughfare, where we could look in both directions at block after block of futuristic skyscrapers—like something out of a sci-fi movie. And we had a balcony, so I got to set up the tripod and shoot to my hearts’ content…bliss.
And then there are the man-made islands. The Al Jumeirah is said to be the world’s only seven star hotel…owned by the Sheik, it sits on its own island and includes a rooftop tennis court, golfing platform and heliport. You can’t even get on the grounds unless you are a paying guest, and a room there will run you about $3000 per night…and up. Jake wants to stay there next time. I told him to save his money.
The two Dubai islands, The Palm Jumeirah and The Palm Jebel Ali, are the shape of date palm trees and consist of a trunk; a crown with 17 fronds; and a surrounding crescent island - the back of which forms the breakwater. Collectively, the islands support more than 60 luxury hotels, 4,000 exclusive residential villas, 1,000 unique water homes, 5,000 shoreline apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities, health spas, cinemas and various dive sites. They have been named the Eighth Wonder of the World.
David and Victoria Beckham have a home here, I’m told. At the top of the island is the newly-opened resort, Atlantis, where I guess many celebrities partied the weekend we were there. Guess our invite got lost in the mail. :-) You have to go under the water in a tunnel to reach it, and it is huge, and beautiful. But the most amazing part of all is the fact that none of it existed six years ago—construction of the island began in 2002. Prior to that, everything we were seeing and standing on was a twinkle in the eye of some daft architect, and there was nothing but water. ALL of Dubai is less than fourteen years old—the city of today didn’t exist until 1994. Incredible. Which is an adjective over-used, but one that truly applies to Dubai.
The most incredible of all, though, is Burj Dubai. Already the tallest building in the world at 178 finished floors, it will not be complete for two more years, its final height still unknown. The spire on the finished structure will be visible from as far away as 95 kms, or almost 60 miles. Already it dwarfs everything around it, and doesn’t even look like it could be real. But the really scary thing was seeing it from the airplane as we took off…because we were at 2500 feet, and it is pretty much right there with you…freaky.
What a privilege to be able to visit Dubai and see all this and more—wish you could each have been with us! But if any are interested in planning a visit, we’ll happily meet you there!
But the truly amazing sights in Dubai are the buildings—each one trying to outdo its neighbors, with expanses of colored glass and every shape you can think of. There’s one currently under construction that is a disc—shaped like an aspirin standing on edge! We were fortunate enough to stay at a hotel right in the middle of Sheik el Zaheid Road, the main thoroughfare, where we could look in both directions at block after block of futuristic skyscrapers—like something out of a sci-fi movie. And we had a balcony, so I got to set up the tripod and shoot to my hearts’ content…bliss.
And then there are the man-made islands. The Al Jumeirah is said to be the world’s only seven star hotel…owned by the Sheik, it sits on its own island and includes a rooftop tennis court, golfing platform and heliport. You can’t even get on the grounds unless you are a paying guest, and a room there will run you about $3000 per night…and up. Jake wants to stay there next time. I told him to save his money.
The two Dubai islands, The Palm Jumeirah and The Palm Jebel Ali, are the shape of date palm trees and consist of a trunk; a crown with 17 fronds; and a surrounding crescent island - the back of which forms the breakwater. Collectively, the islands support more than 60 luxury hotels, 4,000 exclusive residential villas, 1,000 unique water homes, 5,000 shoreline apartments, marinas, water theme parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities, health spas, cinemas and various dive sites. They have been named the Eighth Wonder of the World.
David and Victoria Beckham have a home here, I’m told. At the top of the island is the newly-opened resort, Atlantis, where I guess many celebrities partied the weekend we were there. Guess our invite got lost in the mail. :-) You have to go under the water in a tunnel to reach it, and it is huge, and beautiful. But the most amazing part of all is the fact that none of it existed six years ago—construction of the island began in 2002. Prior to that, everything we were seeing and standing on was a twinkle in the eye of some daft architect, and there was nothing but water. ALL of Dubai is less than fourteen years old—the city of today didn’t exist until 1994. Incredible. Which is an adjective over-used, but one that truly applies to Dubai.
The most incredible of all, though, is Burj Dubai. Already the tallest building in the world at 178 finished floors, it will not be complete for two more years, its final height still unknown. The spire on the finished structure will be visible from as far away as 95 kms, or almost 60 miles. Already it dwarfs everything around it, and doesn’t even look like it could be real. But the really scary thing was seeing it from the airplane as we took off…because we were at 2500 feet, and it is pretty much right there with you…freaky.
What a privilege to be able to visit Dubai and see all this and more—wish you could each have been with us! But if any are interested in planning a visit, we’ll happily meet you there!
Rugby Weekend in Abu Dhabi
rugby (\ˈrəg-bē\) noun. Usage: often capitalized Etymology: Rugby School, Rugby, England. Date:1864: a football game in which play is continuous without time-outs or substitutions, interference and forward passing are not permitted, and kicking, dribbling, lateral passing, and tackling are featured.
This definition is all right as far as it goes, but after our rugby weekend in Abu Dhabi I’m convinced that Merriam-Webster left out the most important part, which is: rugby=beer=bawdy songs. We flew in and out of Dubai, and travelled by bus to Abu Dhabi, which meant that we were captive for what seemed like a month on a bus full of beer-drinking, song-singing Brits…and this weren’t no cumbaiya, let me tell ya. Made me very glad we went (at least I know what to expect now), and made me miss home and family and my small group and sweet friends-who-don’t-sing-obscene-songs. God has moved us most decisively out of our comfort zones…pray that we are faithful and effective witnesses!
Other than the beer/bawdy aspect, it was a fun weekend—Jake played very well, and even more importantly, left the field under his own power and with all his teeth. Rugby is fun to watch, (and probably even more so if you’re not related to any of the players) and we had a great time. The coach asked to use some of the photos I took of the boys and five of them were published in a big full-page spread in two local papers, the Kuwait Times and the Arab Times. And Jake just happened to be featured in four of the five!
We saw a little of Dubai from the bus and it’s pretty amazing, so we are looking forward to next weekend, when we come back to Dubai for Aubrey’s soccer tournament!
This definition is all right as far as it goes, but after our rugby weekend in Abu Dhabi I’m convinced that Merriam-Webster left out the most important part, which is: rugby=beer=bawdy songs. We flew in and out of Dubai, and travelled by bus to Abu Dhabi, which meant that we were captive for what seemed like a month on a bus full of beer-drinking, song-singing Brits…and this weren’t no cumbaiya, let me tell ya. Made me very glad we went (at least I know what to expect now), and made me miss home and family and my small group and sweet friends-who-don’t-sing-obscene-songs. God has moved us most decisively out of our comfort zones…pray that we are faithful and effective witnesses!
Other than the beer/bawdy aspect, it was a fun weekend—Jake played very well, and even more importantly, left the field under his own power and with all his teeth. Rugby is fun to watch, (and probably even more so if you’re not related to any of the players) and we had a great time. The coach asked to use some of the photos I took of the boys and five of them were published in a big full-page spread in two local papers, the Kuwait Times and the Arab Times. And Jake just happened to be featured in four of the five!
We saw a little of Dubai from the bus and it’s pretty amazing, so we are looking forward to next weekend, when we come back to Dubai for Aubrey’s soccer tournament!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
A Word About McDonald's
We Americans love our fast food, but Kuwait is not far behind. There are 94 McDonald's here, which may not seem a lot, but in an area of less than 7,000 square miles (compared to Missouri's just under 70,000 square miles) it's not too shabby. And while many are fairly typical fast-food storefront types, some are pretty unique. Things along the Coast Road in Kuwait tend to be the biggest, shiniest versions of themselves, and the home of the Golden Arches is no exception. The picture is of one such, located on the shore of the Gulf near the Kuwait Towers. Two stories of brightly lit and highly polished square footage, there is often a line of cars backed up onto the highway waiting to get in, and never any parking on the weekends. Which means you take your chances and park on the curbs, the medians, or down the middle, and hope for the best. Or you cruise slowly, watching like a hawk for reverse-lights, and trying to jockey for enough room to negotiate the turn. Not generally on the top of our list, we did get to experience a Friday night here when Aubrey met friends nearby for Soapy Soccer. We sat at tables on the back veranda, surrounded by people of many nationalities, watched the Gulf and ate the familiar cheeseburger and fries. It's a funny world.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Soapy Soccer
There are a number of things in Kuwait that you won't see in Kansas City (beach-goers in full abiyahs, covered head to toe...camels grazing along the side of the highway...herds of goats disappearing from one side of the road to emerge on the other, having crossed through an underground tunnel...) but one of our current favorites is something called "Soapy Soccer". Here's how it works:
- Take one approximately half-sized soccer field made of plastic, and ringed on all sides by inflatable walls. Even the goals are of the inflatable variety, for reasons which will become obvious.
- Apply 4-6 good sized bottles of dish soap, and a liberal dousing of water from conveniently located hoses.
- Add any number of (slightly crazy) people, and one soccer ball.
- And get out your camera, because this is going to be good.
Aubrey and some friends played Soapy Soccer at a birthday party recently, and it was alot of fun (to watch). But I have to admit spending almost as much time watching the adjoining field, where two full teams of guys were playing--and they weren't playin', if you know what I mean. There were (obviously) a lot of falls, and if you know me, you'll know why this is my new favorite sport. :-) One giddy moment involved the goalie, doing the kind thing and retrieving the ball that had bounced out of the field. Except that he misjudged the E=MC2 just a tad, and flipped over the inflated wall. The high point, however, occurred when two opposing players were going for the same pass. One guy went for a slide-tackle (which, as you can imagine, is pretty effective here) and it was more effective than even he intended. The other player, perhaps seeing no other escape (or perhaps hoping to channel Beckham, unsuccessfully) decided to leap over his sliding opponent. And while most of him made it, the tenderest bits came in abrupt contact with the slider's skull. He ended his leap in the fetal position, doing a slide of his own...all the way into the goal. And I, in my agony of mirth, could no longer see him...but I could hear him muttering. If I were running for office, my platform would be "A Fish in Every Pot, and Soapy Soccer In Every County!"
This is...Autumn?
Greetings from Kuwait!
I hope you are all enjoying beautiful autumn weather, complete with crisp days and changing leaves, as well as an apple cider doughnut. Or two. Dozen. :-) I'm missing all of that a lot. Autumn in Kuwait holds little charm. The days are cooler, which is a blessing, and we are enjoying that. But everything is still the color of--not surprisingly--sand. Even the sky, most days. But that makes the few times we see blue skies and clouds a treat. The last few days it has rained, and that's interesting here. You'd think the ground would soak it up like a sponge, but not so. The poor old earth is so hard and dry that the water just stands on the surface for days, and floods every low spot. From what I'm told, the rain will be followed by much colder weather, although that's relative here. So far it appears that we'll get to enjoy roasting/sweating and freezing/shivering daily,on a continually rotating basis. But that's okay. Life is good. :-)
Aubrey is enjoying her soccer season, and has even played some games on the varsity team. We have a small video camera now, and I shot some of her game, along with an embarrassing display of my lack of technical expertise. Someday I'll even learn how to load videos on the blog, and you'll be able to see it. I still plan to mount the camera on the dashboard and give everyone a birds' eye view of driving in Kuwait---aiii-yi-yiiiiii. In seven languages.
Speaking of languages, I really wish I could speak Arabic (not enough to actually study, of course, but that's beside the point). Recently we had to go to the home office of Jazeera Airways (which is a whole other story---good thing my husband is good at finding things). We walked into this one room office, painted bright blue (their signature color, evidently) with one girl, one desk, and one computer. There were three groups before us, and I wish you could have heard the conversations. They sounded something like this:
"Skhhiiwaa kk (phlem) jjefaala m'wewme nthes website thela slt ths t hst la'ft?????""
"Aiyjhhha! wem figigig shtu ckckceeckckc internet rme l'tas falalafala??"
accompanied by much hand gesturing. They sound very angry and talk very loudly--and then will suddenly start laughing--and then go back to the loud, angry talking and gesturing. Very unique. When our turn came she was very nice, but took my phone number and said she'd call me on Thursday...not a great sign. And all we had to do was drive for an hour to get there, wait in line for 40 minutes, talk to her for three, and drive an hour back. God Bless America. :-)
Jake travels to Abu Dhabi this month for rugby, and we are all going, so that will be fun. They had a touch-rugby (as in, you can only shove/grab people and throw them to the ground gently...) tournament last weekend between the area schools, and his ASK team took first in their division. He said if he makes the track team they will travel to Cairo in the spring. (Actually, I think the team will travel there regardless of whether he makes it or not. :-) Quite an experience, to say the least. Aubrey is also playing softball now--can't wait to see what that does to our already-full schedule. Her soccer tournament is in Dubai in two weeks, and we'll be traveling to that, as well.
We are really excited about Christmas--the four of us here are flying to Germany, and meeting Alexis, MacGregor and Joshua at Matt and Meghan's in Starnberg. We are sad that Nate can't come, but he had planned to be in Illinois during that time. (Actually, we're really sad that all the Cogswells can't come...and so are the airlines!) But we are very thankful for the opportunity to spend the holidays with at least some of our dear ones--we are counting the days! I've been ordering sweaters, since I didn't bring any appropriate Germany-in-December clothes...and I think it will get cold enough to wear them here, too. For about a week and a half.
So...that's about it from ackk (phlem) ashaftiwafti land. :-)
Many, many thanks for the emails, cards and care packages. I can't begin to tell you how much that means to all of us. We are thankful for the way God has led and provided, and are enjoying our time in this distant land. But we hold you all in our hearts, and cherish the memories of your kindness to us, and look forward to being with you again. Thank you, too, for praying for us. We are praying for you.
Much love to all--
Melanie/Mom/Nani
I hope you are all enjoying beautiful autumn weather, complete with crisp days and changing leaves, as well as an apple cider doughnut. Or two. Dozen. :-) I'm missing all of that a lot. Autumn in Kuwait holds little charm. The days are cooler, which is a blessing, and we are enjoying that. But everything is still the color of--not surprisingly--sand. Even the sky, most days. But that makes the few times we see blue skies and clouds a treat. The last few days it has rained, and that's interesting here. You'd think the ground would soak it up like a sponge, but not so. The poor old earth is so hard and dry that the water just stands on the surface for days, and floods every low spot. From what I'm told, the rain will be followed by much colder weather, although that's relative here. So far it appears that we'll get to enjoy roasting/sweating and freezing/shivering daily,on a continually rotating basis. But that's okay. Life is good. :-)
Aubrey is enjoying her soccer season, and has even played some games on the varsity team. We have a small video camera now, and I shot some of her game, along with an embarrassing display of my lack of technical expertise. Someday I'll even learn how to load videos on the blog, and you'll be able to see it. I still plan to mount the camera on the dashboard and give everyone a birds' eye view of driving in Kuwait---aiii-yi-yiiiiii. In seven languages.
Speaking of languages, I really wish I could speak Arabic (not enough to actually study, of course, but that's beside the point). Recently we had to go to the home office of Jazeera Airways (which is a whole other story---good thing my husband is good at finding things). We walked into this one room office, painted bright blue (their signature color, evidently) with one girl, one desk, and one computer. There were three groups before us, and I wish you could have heard the conversations. They sounded something like this:
"Skhhiiwaa kk (phlem) jjefaala m'wewme nthes website thela slt ths t hst la'ft?????""
"Aiyjhhha! wem figigig shtu ckckceeckckc internet rme l'tas falalafala??"
accompanied by much hand gesturing. They sound very angry and talk very loudly--and then will suddenly start laughing--and then go back to the loud, angry talking and gesturing. Very unique. When our turn came she was very nice, but took my phone number and said she'd call me on Thursday...not a great sign. And all we had to do was drive for an hour to get there, wait in line for 40 minutes, talk to her for three, and drive an hour back. God Bless America. :-)
Jake travels to Abu Dhabi this month for rugby, and we are all going, so that will be fun. They had a touch-rugby (as in, you can only shove/grab people and throw them to the ground gently...) tournament last weekend between the area schools, and his ASK team took first in their division. He said if he makes the track team they will travel to Cairo in the spring. (Actually, I think the team will travel there regardless of whether he makes it or not. :-) Quite an experience, to say the least. Aubrey is also playing softball now--can't wait to see what that does to our already-full schedule. Her soccer tournament is in Dubai in two weeks, and we'll be traveling to that, as well.
We are really excited about Christmas--the four of us here are flying to Germany, and meeting Alexis, MacGregor and Joshua at Matt and Meghan's in Starnberg. We are sad that Nate can't come, but he had planned to be in Illinois during that time. (Actually, we're really sad that all the Cogswells can't come...and so are the airlines!) But we are very thankful for the opportunity to spend the holidays with at least some of our dear ones--we are counting the days! I've been ordering sweaters, since I didn't bring any appropriate Germany-in-December clothes...and I think it will get cold enough to wear them here, too. For about a week and a half.
So...that's about it from ackk (phlem) ashaftiwafti land. :-)
Many, many thanks for the emails, cards and care packages. I can't begin to tell you how much that means to all of us. We are thankful for the way God has led and provided, and are enjoying our time in this distant land. But we hold you all in our hearts, and cherish the memories of your kindness to us, and look forward to being with you again. Thank you, too, for praying for us. We are praying for you.
Much love to all--
Melanie/Mom/Nani
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Hello, Everyone...
Umm, I really don’t know what to write about right now. I've been in Kuwait for almost 3 weeks now. And it’s really hot. But I expected that. There's a lot to do as well, just not in the month of Ramadan. Its pretty lame during that time. But Ramadan is almost over.
I am going out for the varsity soccer team and am going to play rugby as well. I’m still as much in to my music as before. My school is nice. The classes are freezing. Funny to think that you could be cold in a desert. And mostly I eat cereal. Because its easy to make and its really good. That and I drink lots of peach tea and water. Other than that I don’t really know what has been going on. So I will try and explain more of what has been happening on the next post.
Jake
Arabic Elvis
On the first day of school about the fifth or sixth stop a kid walked on the bus with a guitar. I looked up at his face and thought, "Is he trying to dress up like Elvis?" but I figured out that it was just him! I was laughing in my head so hard. It was the funniest thing that I had seen here yet. Sometimes I picture him in a spangly white suit with tassels all over it, and his hair gelled back. I wish that I had a picture of him so that you could see him.
No boob count over here yet.
The hardest thing about being over here is that I left all my friends and most of my family, but now that I am over here I am with my mom and dad and I am making new friends almost everyday now. I miss being home but I am glad that I came here.
Yours truly,
Aubrey Cogswell
No boob count over here yet.
The hardest thing about being over here is that I left all my friends and most of my family, but now that I am over here I am with my mom and dad and I am making new friends almost everyday now. I miss being home but I am glad that I came here.
Yours truly,
Aubrey Cogswell
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
August in Kuwait...
Is hot. Average daily temps in the 120’s…lots of fun! But really I am not complaining—I’m inside (almost) all day every day. And very thankful that’s the case. There was one day last week that was ugly…average temps but high humidity, and let me just tell you—unpleasant does not begin to cover it. We went to lunch at the DFac and had to stand in line outside for ten minutes or less—being born a Bookman, sweating has always come very naturally to me (my brother Doug once said it was his “spiritual gift”…and we are all, in that sense, very gifted!). But the guy standing in line in front of me had us all beat. There was sweat dripping, not only from his nose and ears, but from his fingertips…wow. The people who came in the mailroom that day just looked whipped—thankfully it’s less humid now, although still uncomfortable. I’ve been told the humidity is a sign of what passes for fall in Kuwait, and cooler temperatures on the way…we’ll see. “Cooler” is relative, of course—fall means highs only in the 90’s. :-)
We have been working at getting ready for Jake and Aubrey’s arrival this Sunday the 31st. Dick has met with KRH, our sponsoring organization, to get all the necessary paperwork in order (and there’s a lot of it, believe me.) and we go tomorrow to the American Embassy—armed with official, notarized copies of our marriage license, all our birth certificates, passports and visas—to meet with the officials and get clearance to bring them into the country. We also have to get them registered at the American School of Kuwait (http://www.ask.edu.kw/Home/home.htm , if you’re interested) where they begin class on September 7th. And try to figure out uniforms, electives, bus schedules, etc…all during the first week of Ramadan, which lasts the entire month of September.
For those who don’t know (and why would you?), Ramadan is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Qur'an began to be revealed. The most prominent event of this month is the fasting (sawm) practiced by the most observant Muslims. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat the Suhoor meal (the pre dawn meal) and perform their fajr prayer. They break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib (sunset), is due.*
*Now, before you are impressed with my studious observation and keen understanding of my new home, I have one word for you: Wikipedia. That’s the official version. From everything I’ve heard from people who have experienced it here before, Ramadan in Kuwait looks less like a time of religious observance than you might expect, given that description. As I understand it, what happens is that everything (and I do mean everything—hospitals, pharmacies, stores…) closes all day every day, and the roads and public places are deserted. Until sunset, that is, when all those cranky-from-hunger-and-shopping-withdrawal Kuwaitis hit the roads in their expensive, fast cars to cram twelve hours worth of consumption into three or four. Have I mentioned that they all drive like maniacs here? Because evidently it is much worse during Ramadan. And we will have to do our school shopping at night, since nothing will be open during the days…and that’s a scary thought. So pray for us! :-)
Jake and Aubrey have had quite the summer—after spending the first part of it at home in Kansas City, they have been in Starnberg, Germany with Matt and Meghan for the last five weeks, and it has been an adventure. Joshua and MacGregor flew to Germany with them and spent a couple of weeks hanging out and seeing the sights. The four of them got to spend an entire day biking around Munich, visiting the castles and historical places there—what a life! And it’s been a truly European experience…Starnberg is a resort town situated on a lovely see (lake) and the Europeans tend to be free-thinkers when it comes to clothing, and the necessity thereof. Meghan recently told me that Aubrey announced to her that she has seen "28 boobs." So typical-Aubrey...she's cataloging them in her mind. They probably have categories and sub-categories. You know—“old lady", "really old lady", and "Yipe!" :-) And at first Meghan thought she said she had seen 27, which was even funnier. :-) Josh was telling me that when they were biking through Munich they passed along the edge of some "nature colony" or something, and all of a sudden there was a naked old man walking toward them...can you just see all of them trying to not look?? oh, my. And after they looked (which of course they did) trying to not make a face...?? Wish I had video.
All in all, it’s been a summer unlike any other—and we are all very thankful for the way God has provided and protected through it all. We continue to see His hand in our lives and in those around us—He is so good. We miss all of you back home, and love hearing from you. We are praying for you, and so thankful for your prayers on our behalf. Enjoy the autumn weather—that’s something we really miss here.
With much love—
Melanie/Mom/Nani
We have been working at getting ready for Jake and Aubrey’s arrival this Sunday the 31st. Dick has met with KRH, our sponsoring organization, to get all the necessary paperwork in order (and there’s a lot of it, believe me.) and we go tomorrow to the American Embassy—armed with official, notarized copies of our marriage license, all our birth certificates, passports and visas—to meet with the officials and get clearance to bring them into the country. We also have to get them registered at the American School of Kuwait (http://www.ask.edu.kw/Home/home.htm , if you’re interested) where they begin class on September 7th. And try to figure out uniforms, electives, bus schedules, etc…all during the first week of Ramadan, which lasts the entire month of September.
For those who don’t know (and why would you?), Ramadan is a Muslim religious observance that takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, believed to be the month in which the Qur'an began to be revealed. The most prominent event of this month is the fasting (sawm) practiced by the most observant Muslims. Every day during the month of Ramadan, Muslims around the world get up before dawn to eat the Suhoor meal (the pre dawn meal) and perform their fajr prayer. They break their fast when the fourth prayer of the day, Maghrib (sunset), is due.*
*Now, before you are impressed with my studious observation and keen understanding of my new home, I have one word for you: Wikipedia. That’s the official version. From everything I’ve heard from people who have experienced it here before, Ramadan in Kuwait looks less like a time of religious observance than you might expect, given that description. As I understand it, what happens is that everything (and I do mean everything—hospitals, pharmacies, stores…) closes all day every day, and the roads and public places are deserted. Until sunset, that is, when all those cranky-from-hunger-and-shopping-withdrawal Kuwaitis hit the roads in their expensive, fast cars to cram twelve hours worth of consumption into three or four. Have I mentioned that they all drive like maniacs here? Because evidently it is much worse during Ramadan. And we will have to do our school shopping at night, since nothing will be open during the days…and that’s a scary thought. So pray for us! :-)
Jake and Aubrey have had quite the summer—after spending the first part of it at home in Kansas City, they have been in Starnberg, Germany with Matt and Meghan for the last five weeks, and it has been an adventure. Joshua and MacGregor flew to Germany with them and spent a couple of weeks hanging out and seeing the sights. The four of them got to spend an entire day biking around Munich, visiting the castles and historical places there—what a life! And it’s been a truly European experience…Starnberg is a resort town situated on a lovely see (lake) and the Europeans tend to be free-thinkers when it comes to clothing, and the necessity thereof. Meghan recently told me that Aubrey announced to her that she has seen "28 boobs." So typical-Aubrey...she's cataloging them in her mind. They probably have categories and sub-categories. You know—“old lady", "really old lady", and "Yipe!" :-) And at first Meghan thought she said she had seen 27, which was even funnier. :-) Josh was telling me that when they were biking through Munich they passed along the edge of some "nature colony" or something, and all of a sudden there was a naked old man walking toward them...can you just see all of them trying to not look?? oh, my. And after they looked (which of course they did) trying to not make a face...?? Wish I had video.
All in all, it’s been a summer unlike any other—and we are all very thankful for the way God has provided and protected through it all. We continue to see His hand in our lives and in those around us—He is so good. We miss all of you back home, and love hearing from you. We are praying for you, and so thankful for your prayers on our behalf. Enjoy the autumn weather—that’s something we really miss here.
With much love—
Melanie/Mom/Nani
Friday, July 11, 2008
Life in Kuwait
Greetings!
I can't believe it has been almost a month since I last wrote an update--this working full-time business really cuts into my life! :-)
I haven't even managed to post pictures of our apartment, and we've already moved from there into a new one. I'm working on getting pictures on the blog, but I'm regretting not shipping my PC, and having some trouble getting the system up and running with only the laptop. But we'll figure it out.
The apartment we had when I arrived was very nice--on the tenth (which was the topth :-) floor of a very pretty building, with two bedrooms, three bathrooms and an office. The kitchen was spacious (although not well-lit) and there was a small, round balcony and lots of big windows. It's a lovely place, and I was alittle sad to leave it. I especially miss our security guards, Muhammed and Abdul, who always greeted us with big smiles, and enjoyed doing the "secret Cogswell handshake" with Dick. :-) (If you are wondering what that's about, just ask any of our boys to demonstrate. It's a family tradition of long standing.)
We spent our 4th of July weekend moving--packing up after work on Thursday, and carting everything with the help of our friend, Howard. (All the while asking ourselves, "How in the world do we even have this much stuff to move...?!?") Spent our days off moving and arranging and settling in at the new place. I will post pictures of the new nest (promise!)...it's really cool. Bigger than the other place (three bedrooms, four bathrooms, an office and dining room, as well as a very nice, large kitchen with a pantry and lots of light!), it also has separate maid quarters just outside the door...who would have thought? :-) We'll be using that for storage--don't plan to have a live-in maid. There are balconies front and back, and we've already put out bird feeders--I know there are birds around, but they haven't found us yet. Looking forward to seeing what kinds we get, once they discover us.
Our landlord, Hassan, is very kind, and the first actual Kuwaiti I think I've met. I had some requests for him--the rug in the office is very bland, so I asked if he had any other options, and we need some sun-blocking curtains in the kids' rooms. He was happy to oblige--told me that if there's anything I need I "have only to whistle!" And true to his word, the next night when we came home there was a lovely persian rug rolled up and standing outside our door--pretty cool. I guess the last lady who was in here was very demanding, so I look good by comparison! There is even a long (probably a block) and wide paved pathway at the base of our building--should work for skateboarding for Jake and Aubrey. The best part about this place for me is that I can hang pictures and art to my heart's content--the first apartment was all wallpaper or tile, and I didn't feel like I could hang stuff there. But here I have miles of white walls to do with as I please, so that will be fun for me, and make it seem much more like home.
Working on an army base is pretty interesting--I am trying to get a pass for my camera on base, but have to go to the big guys for that, which takes time. It is interesting to be in an environment where people walk around heavily armed, and the landscape consists of Bradley armored vehicles and M1 tanks. I am intrigued by the people here, and would love to learn their stories...I would love to find a way to use my camera to bring those stories home. Pray that God will open the doors, if that's His plan. There are fun perks, too--yesterday afternoon I stood tucked under Gary Sinise's right arm, and had my picture taken with him, and got his autograph--he made a stop at the Zone 1 Community Center, Camp Arifjan. :-)
We are beginning to institute the changes in the mailroom, and it is fun to see the effects. We have a candy jar, and anyone who comes in hoping for mail but doesn't get any gets a piece of candy to ease the pain. We got permission to display a "Quote of the Day" and although we may have to avoid overtly Biblical texts, we can at least choose good quotes that will be conversation-starters with the folk who come in. We're also going to do a monthly contest--display a picture of somewhere in Kuwait City and let people try to identify it, and then have a drawing from the correct answers for a bag of their favorite candy. We plan to get a US map and also a world map, and have people mark their hometowns. I'm playing with the idea of coming up with a survey that people can fill out, along with taking their pictures...I'd like to be able to put together kind of a Camp Arifjan Yearbook. There is an understandable need to feel some connection with other people, and the mailroom is kind of central to all. That makes for a unique opportunity--there's no other job on base where I would be exposed to as wide a variety of the personnel there. So I'm excited to see what lies ahead.
The most exciting thing coming up is our trip home--a week from tomorrow we will be on our way! Can't wait to see our family, and spend time together. We arrive in Kansas City on Saturday, July 19th and depart on Sunday, July 27th. Jake and Aubrey will be traveling to Germany--along with two very handsome (and lucky) escorts, Joshua and MacGregor--around the first of August. They will spend several weeks in Starnburg with Matt and Meghan and Jeremy and Layla--I'm very jealous. But hopefully Dick and I will be able to travel there and spend at least a long weekend toward the end of August, when we will bring Jake and Aubrey back here to start school at the American School of Kuwait.
So that's what's going on in this little corner of the world. I hope all is well in your corner of the world, and that I will hear from some of you about what is happening with you
Thank you for continuing to pray for us--it is a precious gift.
Much love to all...
Melanie
I can't believe it has been almost a month since I last wrote an update--this working full-time business really cuts into my life! :-)
I haven't even managed to post pictures of our apartment, and we've already moved from there into a new one. I'm working on getting pictures on the blog, but I'm regretting not shipping my PC, and having some trouble getting the system up and running with only the laptop. But we'll figure it out.
The apartment we had when I arrived was very nice--on the tenth (which was the topth :-) floor of a very pretty building, with two bedrooms, three bathrooms and an office. The kitchen was spacious (although not well-lit) and there was a small, round balcony and lots of big windows. It's a lovely place, and I was alittle sad to leave it. I especially miss our security guards, Muhammed and Abdul, who always greeted us with big smiles, and enjoyed doing the "secret Cogswell handshake" with Dick. :-) (If you are wondering what that's about, just ask any of our boys to demonstrate. It's a family tradition of long standing.)
We spent our 4th of July weekend moving--packing up after work on Thursday, and carting everything with the help of our friend, Howard. (All the while asking ourselves, "How in the world do we even have this much stuff to move...?!?") Spent our days off moving and arranging and settling in at the new place. I will post pictures of the new nest (promise!)...it's really cool. Bigger than the other place (three bedrooms, four bathrooms, an office and dining room, as well as a very nice, large kitchen with a pantry and lots of light!), it also has separate maid quarters just outside the door...who would have thought? :-) We'll be using that for storage--don't plan to have a live-in maid. There are balconies front and back, and we've already put out bird feeders--I know there are birds around, but they haven't found us yet. Looking forward to seeing what kinds we get, once they discover us.
Our landlord, Hassan, is very kind, and the first actual Kuwaiti I think I've met. I had some requests for him--the rug in the office is very bland, so I asked if he had any other options, and we need some sun-blocking curtains in the kids' rooms. He was happy to oblige--told me that if there's anything I need I "have only to whistle!" And true to his word, the next night when we came home there was a lovely persian rug rolled up and standing outside our door--pretty cool. I guess the last lady who was in here was very demanding, so I look good by comparison! There is even a long (probably a block) and wide paved pathway at the base of our building--should work for skateboarding for Jake and Aubrey. The best part about this place for me is that I can hang pictures and art to my heart's content--the first apartment was all wallpaper or tile, and I didn't feel like I could hang stuff there. But here I have miles of white walls to do with as I please, so that will be fun for me, and make it seem much more like home.
Working on an army base is pretty interesting--I am trying to get a pass for my camera on base, but have to go to the big guys for that, which takes time. It is interesting to be in an environment where people walk around heavily armed, and the landscape consists of Bradley armored vehicles and M1 tanks. I am intrigued by the people here, and would love to learn their stories...I would love to find a way to use my camera to bring those stories home. Pray that God will open the doors, if that's His plan. There are fun perks, too--yesterday afternoon I stood tucked under Gary Sinise's right arm, and had my picture taken with him, and got his autograph--he made a stop at the Zone 1 Community Center, Camp Arifjan. :-)
We are beginning to institute the changes in the mailroom, and it is fun to see the effects. We have a candy jar, and anyone who comes in hoping for mail but doesn't get any gets a piece of candy to ease the pain. We got permission to display a "Quote of the Day" and although we may have to avoid overtly Biblical texts, we can at least choose good quotes that will be conversation-starters with the folk who come in. We're also going to do a monthly contest--display a picture of somewhere in Kuwait City and let people try to identify it, and then have a drawing from the correct answers for a bag of their favorite candy. We plan to get a US map and also a world map, and have people mark their hometowns. I'm playing with the idea of coming up with a survey that people can fill out, along with taking their pictures...I'd like to be able to put together kind of a Camp Arifjan Yearbook. There is an understandable need to feel some connection with other people, and the mailroom is kind of central to all. That makes for a unique opportunity--there's no other job on base where I would be exposed to as wide a variety of the personnel there. So I'm excited to see what lies ahead.
The most exciting thing coming up is our trip home--a week from tomorrow we will be on our way! Can't wait to see our family, and spend time together. We arrive in Kansas City on Saturday, July 19th and depart on Sunday, July 27th. Jake and Aubrey will be traveling to Germany--along with two very handsome (and lucky) escorts, Joshua and MacGregor--around the first of August. They will spend several weeks in Starnburg with Matt and Meghan and Jeremy and Layla--I'm very jealous. But hopefully Dick and I will be able to travel there and spend at least a long weekend toward the end of August, when we will bring Jake and Aubrey back here to start school at the American School of Kuwait.
So that's what's going on in this little corner of the world. I hope all is well in your corner of the world, and that I will hear from some of you about what is happening with you
Thank you for continuing to pray for us--it is a precious gift.
Much love to all...
Melanie
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Greetings, Dear Ones
Today is Sunday, June 15th--Father's Day for you back home, but just another first-day-of-the-workweek for us. Dick did get Father's Day greetings from the kids at home, and I have some small gifts for him, but mostly it's a work day.
It's been almost a month since I left Kansas City--hard to believe, except that I am well-aquainted with the whole "time flies" thing--yea, verily, it doth. :-) Things are going well here--in general a thousand times better than I would have expected, at least in terms of the job and heat and all of that (I didn't expect anything less in terms of being with my husband...).
There have been some interesting and eye-opening moments...this isn't the USofA, that's for sure. The OSHA briefing that detailed all the different types of Hepatitis you can pick up over here--(along with the details of the toilet habits of Middle Easterners: ee-uck)--was fun. Right up there with the two days of driver's training that included way too many graphic videos. They didn't need to scare me to death on the subject of reckless driving--actually being on the roads here does a great job of that.
The real low point, though, may have been the "free clinic", which in Kuwait is evidently code for "rat hole". It was an experience to stand in line with a hundred or so TCN's (third country nationals) to have blood drawn ("make sure to request that they wear gloves and use a fresh needle" !) and get a chest x-ray ("braaZHEER??") :-). If anyone wants to know what health care will look like under Hilary/Obama, I can send them a picture.
My job is wonderful, as jobs go...I spend my days in the mail room, which is completely separate from everything else (read: management, catty office types, if any), air-conditioned (reasonably) and behind a locked door, the keys to which belong to John, my fellow mail clerk, and me only. As in, even our bosses have to knock.
Don't get me wrong--there's work to be done and we do it, and it even involves sweating sometime. But it is lovely to be able to relax when we have down time, and not have to
try to look busy--'cuz no one's looking! :-)
And John is such a gift--24 years old, super kind and polite, and a Christian. And believe me, that is somewhat rare in this group. I could have gotten stuck with one of the neanderthals that I went through CRC with, or some crotchety old lady with intestinal issues, but instead I got him. And I am very thankful.
It has been really cool to see him open up and share his heart with me. Pray for him, and for me as I get to spend time with him. He is saved but struggles with doubts sometimes. And he would really like to find a good Christian girl to share his life with, and that can be hard to do. I will send pictures soon, and you can meet him long distance. (I'm having trouble doing much shooting in Kuwait thus far--I seem to have arrived during the worst run of dust storms in recent memory. Lucky me. :-)
I have had the opportunity to meet many of the people that have been Dick's co-workers for the last 20 months, and put faces to the names. Paul Diggins, who has been with ITT for 30+ years, is a good guy and has been a great friend to Dick. We've dined at the home of Daryl Leeds (# 3 guy at ITT) and his wife, and had breakfast with them on our day off. Both Paul and Daryl have had really good things to say about Dick, and have done a lot to renew our confidence in ITT and the decision to be here. I'm so thankful that Dick is finally getting some of the recognition he's always deserved, and they are glad to have him on board. They are providing his Six Sigma blackbelt training, which is a great thing to have on your resume these days. I may even be able to get at least green belt certified while I'm here, too. (Although the only career I've ever really wanted is that of mother, and I'm pretty sure I've already got every belt there is in that one... :-)
So there is, as always, much for which to be thankful. We are in the process of getting Jake and Aubrey registered at the American School of Kuwait, which should be a great experience for them, too. Jake celebrated his 16th birthday at Hard Rock Cafe, Munich, and will probably get to celebrate his 17th at Hard Rock Cafe, Kuwait, which is right on the shore of the gulf. (I hear their steaks are really good, Jake! :-)
I'm very thankful for Skype, and being able to talk to the kids at home pretty regularly, but man, do I miss them! All seems to be rolling along well on that front, and they are doing a great job. Which is a pretty big accomplishment, considering there are currently sixteen people (or thirteen people and three rockers... :-) living in the house. Not only is it still standing, but Adam's even been doing landscaping...pretty amazing.
Matt and Meghan and the kids are home from Germany--I really miss being there for that, too. But it's been great to see them all on Skype. Alexis has just over a month left in Israel--can't wait to see her, too. We are planning to be home for a week in late July--really looking forward to that! (Speaking of Skype--we would love to be able to visit with any and all of the rest of you, too. So download it for free if you haven't already, and give us a call! Our address is: richard.cogswell@gmail.com . We are almost always online between 7 and 9 p.m. Kuwaiti time, which is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, which is midnight Thursday to noon Friday, Central.)
I know I've said it before, but I want to thank you again for your prayers on our behalf. We are constantly aware of their impact on our lives, and are truly grateful. If you'd like, you can pray about these specific areas:
It's been almost a month since I left Kansas City--hard to believe, except that I am well-aquainted with the whole "time flies" thing--yea, verily, it doth. :-) Things are going well here--in general a thousand times better than I would have expected, at least in terms of the job and heat and all of that (I didn't expect anything less in terms of being with my husband...).
There have been some interesting and eye-opening moments...this isn't the USofA, that's for sure. The OSHA briefing that detailed all the different types of Hepatitis you can pick up over here--(along with the details of the toilet habits of Middle Easterners: ee-uck)--was fun. Right up there with the two days of driver's training that included way too many graphic videos. They didn't need to scare me to death on the subject of reckless driving--actually being on the roads here does a great job of that.
The real low point, though, may have been the "free clinic", which in Kuwait is evidently code for "rat hole". It was an experience to stand in line with a hundred or so TCN's (third country nationals) to have blood drawn ("make sure to request that they wear gloves and use a fresh needle" !) and get a chest x-ray ("braaZHEER??") :-). If anyone wants to know what health care will look like under Hilary/Obama, I can send them a picture.
My job is wonderful, as jobs go...I spend my days in the mail room, which is completely separate from everything else (read: management, catty office types, if any), air-conditioned (reasonably) and behind a locked door, the keys to which belong to John, my fellow mail clerk, and me only. As in, even our bosses have to knock.
Napping: frequent. Caught napping: never. :-)
Don't get me wrong--there's work to be done and we do it, and it even involves sweating sometime. But it is lovely to be able to relax when we have down time, and not have to
try to look busy--'cuz no one's looking! :-)
And John is such a gift--24 years old, super kind and polite, and a Christian. And believe me, that is somewhat rare in this group. I could have gotten stuck with one of the neanderthals that I went through CRC with, or some crotchety old lady with intestinal issues, but instead I got him. And I am very thankful.
It has been really cool to see him open up and share his heart with me. Pray for him, and for me as I get to spend time with him. He is saved but struggles with doubts sometimes. And he would really like to find a good Christian girl to share his life with, and that can be hard to do. I will send pictures soon, and you can meet him long distance. (I'm having trouble doing much shooting in Kuwait thus far--I seem to have arrived during the worst run of dust storms in recent memory. Lucky me. :-)
I have had the opportunity to meet many of the people that have been Dick's co-workers for the last 20 months, and put faces to the names. Paul Diggins, who has been with ITT for 30+ years, is a good guy and has been a great friend to Dick. We've dined at the home of Daryl Leeds (# 3 guy at ITT) and his wife, and had breakfast with them on our day off. Both Paul and Daryl have had really good things to say about Dick, and have done a lot to renew our confidence in ITT and the decision to be here. I'm so thankful that Dick is finally getting some of the recognition he's always deserved, and they are glad to have him on board. They are providing his Six Sigma blackbelt training, which is a great thing to have on your resume these days. I may even be able to get at least green belt certified while I'm here, too. (Although the only career I've ever really wanted is that of mother, and I'm pretty sure I've already got every belt there is in that one... :-)
So there is, as always, much for which to be thankful. We are in the process of getting Jake and Aubrey registered at the American School of Kuwait, which should be a great experience for them, too. Jake celebrated his 16th birthday at Hard Rock Cafe, Munich, and will probably get to celebrate his 17th at Hard Rock Cafe, Kuwait, which is right on the shore of the gulf. (I hear their steaks are really good, Jake! :-)
I'm very thankful for Skype, and being able to talk to the kids at home pretty regularly, but man, do I miss them! All seems to be rolling along well on that front, and they are doing a great job. Which is a pretty big accomplishment, considering there are currently sixteen people (or thirteen people and three rockers... :-) living in the house. Not only is it still standing, but Adam's even been doing landscaping...pretty amazing.
Matt and Meghan and the kids are home from Germany--I really miss being there for that, too. But it's been great to see them all on Skype. Alexis has just over a month left in Israel--can't wait to see her, too. We are planning to be home for a week in late July--really looking forward to that! (Speaking of Skype--we would love to be able to visit with any and all of the rest of you, too. So download it for free if you haven't already, and give us a call! Our address is: richard.cogswell@gmail.com . We are almost always online between 7 and 9 p.m. Kuwaiti time, which is 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Central, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Fridays, which is midnight Thursday to noon Friday, Central.)
I know I've said it before, but I want to thank you again for your prayers on our behalf. We are constantly aware of their impact on our lives, and are truly grateful. If you'd like, you can pray about these specific areas:
- Safety and health for us, (have I mentioned the crazy drivers here??) and for our kids in the States
- John Allen, my fellow mail clerk: spiritual growth, finding a Godly mate
- Kenya Rogers, another co-worker: she and her husband want a baby, and are having difficulty getting pregnant
- Finding a church and Bible study groups that we can get involved in despite our work schedules
- And especially: for Dick and I as we have opportunities here to be a witness--that we would be gentle, and wise, and faithful.
One of the things I have learned here is how woefully I neglected my husband in the matter of mail while he was here alone. We talked on the phone and/or on Skype daily, so I didn't make it a point to write him at least weekly, and I should have. It's amazing how much it means to hear from home when you are so far away. Even though part of our job is to post and email daily lists of everyone who has mail here, people will come to mail call anyway...just hoping. So if you have friends or loved ones far away, write to them! If you know a soldier serving overseas, write them! It is a wonderful gift to hear from home.
I hope you are all well, and loving this wonderful gift of life. I'm so glad to know that you are out there--even 8000 miles away we feel your hearts, and are thankful.
much love,
Melanie
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Greetings from Kuwait
Today is Saturday, May 31st--my first day off in two weeks! I have been in-country for almost a week, and it still seems surreal. Thank you all so much for praying for us--we feel the effects daily. I miss you like crazy, but we have so much for which to be thankful...
Our departure from CRC in Georgia was pretty amazing. We had to assemble at 1400 with our bags, and I was assigned to the "Baggage Detail". Sounded like a lot of fun to me--especially in the 90 degree heat and high humidity! I was not looking forward to slinging about eight hundred 70# bags and then getting on the airplane all sweaty...but they didn't ask my opinion. As it turned out, it wasn't bad at all--they had everyone carry their own bags to the staging area, and we just had to make sure they were properly lined up ("Open ends to the east! Duffels, then rucks (with or without frames), weapon cases and miscellaneous. One foot of space separating each individual's bags!"). Enough to raise a little sweat, but nothing major. There were a couple of rumors floating around about those on baggage detail: #1: We got to sit in first class on the flight. #2: The baggage detail at the other end (in Kuwait) was going to be much worse. Which would mean that I would be even more of a mess--eighteen hours in transit, then very sweaty detail--before I got to see my husband for the first time in a year. Oh, well.
Once the bags were all lined up, they brought in the army's drug-sniffing dogs to check each and every one. We were loaded on to buses mid-afternoon on Friday, May 23rd, and taken to the Fort Benning airfield. There we got weighed with our bags, security checked (again) and left our carry-ons in lines for the dogs to check. After that we were served a hot meal, and left in the terminal to wait for about an hour and a half. There were tables filled with books, Bibles, playing cards and other assorted goodies that we were invited to help ourselves to, and several big screen TV's to watch.
Soon they moved us into the Ready Room. There one of the commanding officers gave a wonderful speech, thanking each of us for our service and sacrifice. He even spoke directly to the contractors, and explained that our service was an important part of the total effort, which was quite moving. Next came an army chaplain, who spoke for just a few minutes but with great passion. When he asked permission to pray for us, he was greeted by a resounding chorus of "Hooah!"...brought tears to my eyes, and not for the first time that day. After he prayed we were dismissed by name, and instructed to go out the door and turn right. When I did, I found myself in front of a line of about fifteen soldiers in uniform, each one of whom shook my hand, and wished me Godspeed. I was very humbled.
And after shaking the last soldier's hand, I turned and got my first look at the bird that would take us here--an immense DC-10, standing all alone in the middle of the vast tarmac, and glinting in the setting sun. I cannot begin to claim equality with any of the armed forces, and never would--but what an incredible privilege it was for me to be identified with them even to a small extent. We are so blessed to be Americans, and owe so much to the men and women who serve in our military. That was a day I will never forget.
Our flight to Bangor, Maine was uneventful--and they did, in fact, put those of us on baggage detail in first class! :-) We arrived at about ten p.m., and deplaned for refueling and cleaning. As we got off the plane and headed for the terminal, we were greeted by eight or ten veterans, who were there to thank us and provide free cell phones to use and books and snacks...quite amazing. At about midnight we reboarded, and about halfway through the pre-flight it became apparent that they were having some difficulties with the electrical system. After about an hour and a half, they announced that we would be spending the night in Bangor, as the generator had to be replaced.
So we got off the plane, and (after an hour or so) on to buses, and headed to the Days Inn. Got there about 3:30 a.m. and paired up and headed to our rooms. The lady I was with was very nice, although I was alittle worried at first--as we were unpacking she was having some gastrointestinal issues ("oh, my...excuse me! I hope I don't keep doing that all night!") Needless to say, I was hoping the same. :-)
After a whole lot more showing up on time so we could sit around and wait, we headed back to the airport at about 2 p.m. on Saturday. We finally took off at about 8 p.m., headed for Liepzig, Germany. We were only on the ground for about an hour in Liepzig, then back onboard for the final leg--about five hours to Ali Al Salem, Kuwait. We landed at about noon local time, on Sunday, May 24th. They called for the baggage detail folk to deplane first, and we were assembled under the plane. (It was hot, but not horrible--the upside of the dryness here is that sweat evaporates almost instantly. So if I can be hot without dripping, I'm okay with that.)
I was standing there wondering exactly what we would be doing, and if the dryness could keep up with the amount of sweat I figured I would soon be producing, when they split us into two groups: military and civilian. And then sent the civilians to the (air-conditioned) buses, and let the military handle the detail there. Talk about getting off easy. I sat on the bus and tried to wrap my head around the fact that I was in Kuwait, and actually within probably a few hundred yards of my husband for the first time in nearly a year.
There are heavy, dark curtains on the buses to keep out the sun, and as I sat about four rows back, I saw through the windshield a pair of Asics, and some very familiar calves in tan pants...and jumped out of my seat and out of the bus, into his arms. We broke army regs long enough to give each other a long-overdue hug and kiss, and then had to be content to just walk together.
I was required to spend the night on base, and assigned a bed and a tent, but we spent the first part of the night in the MWR, dozing on an uncomfortable sofa in the middle of a loudly contested poker night. From there we went to the car, and put the seats back, cracked the windows and slept in the dessert dust.
Once we assembled at six a.m. and took care of some paperwork, I was allowed to leave with him, and got to see for the first time our home in Kuwait. So, at long last, I am here.
It is a very different world, but I'm sure you've heard enough for now. I will write again soon and tell you alittle bit about Kuwait--at least the small amount I've seen so far. I hope to get my boxes by Monday, so I will have my camera, which will be good. I've been feeling pretty lost without it. Then I will be able to include some pictures of the apartment, and eventually of Kuwait City.
I think of you all often, and with much love and appreciation. I am incredibly proud of my children, and the job they are all doing at carrying on and keeping the faith. I am praying for you, and know that you are praying for us as well.
Heartfelt appreciation and blessings upon you all...
Godspeed.
Melanie
Our departure from CRC in Georgia was pretty amazing. We had to assemble at 1400 with our bags, and I was assigned to the "Baggage Detail". Sounded like a lot of fun to me--especially in the 90 degree heat and high humidity! I was not looking forward to slinging about eight hundred 70# bags and then getting on the airplane all sweaty...but they didn't ask my opinion. As it turned out, it wasn't bad at all--they had everyone carry their own bags to the staging area, and we just had to make sure they were properly lined up ("Open ends to the east! Duffels, then rucks (with or without frames), weapon cases and miscellaneous. One foot of space separating each individual's bags!"). Enough to raise a little sweat, but nothing major. There were a couple of rumors floating around about those on baggage detail: #1: We got to sit in first class on the flight. #2: The baggage detail at the other end (in Kuwait) was going to be much worse. Which would mean that I would be even more of a mess--eighteen hours in transit, then very sweaty detail--before I got to see my husband for the first time in a year. Oh, well.
Once the bags were all lined up, they brought in the army's drug-sniffing dogs to check each and every one. We were loaded on to buses mid-afternoon on Friday, May 23rd, and taken to the Fort Benning airfield. There we got weighed with our bags, security checked (again) and left our carry-ons in lines for the dogs to check. After that we were served a hot meal, and left in the terminal to wait for about an hour and a half. There were tables filled with books, Bibles, playing cards and other assorted goodies that we were invited to help ourselves to, and several big screen TV's to watch.
Soon they moved us into the Ready Room. There one of the commanding officers gave a wonderful speech, thanking each of us for our service and sacrifice. He even spoke directly to the contractors, and explained that our service was an important part of the total effort, which was quite moving. Next came an army chaplain, who spoke for just a few minutes but with great passion. When he asked permission to pray for us, he was greeted by a resounding chorus of "Hooah!"...brought tears to my eyes, and not for the first time that day. After he prayed we were dismissed by name, and instructed to go out the door and turn right. When I did, I found myself in front of a line of about fifteen soldiers in uniform, each one of whom shook my hand, and wished me Godspeed. I was very humbled.
And after shaking the last soldier's hand, I turned and got my first look at the bird that would take us here--an immense DC-10, standing all alone in the middle of the vast tarmac, and glinting in the setting sun. I cannot begin to claim equality with any of the armed forces, and never would--but what an incredible privilege it was for me to be identified with them even to a small extent. We are so blessed to be Americans, and owe so much to the men and women who serve in our military. That was a day I will never forget.
Our flight to Bangor, Maine was uneventful--and they did, in fact, put those of us on baggage detail in first class! :-) We arrived at about ten p.m., and deplaned for refueling and cleaning. As we got off the plane and headed for the terminal, we were greeted by eight or ten veterans, who were there to thank us and provide free cell phones to use and books and snacks...quite amazing. At about midnight we reboarded, and about halfway through the pre-flight it became apparent that they were having some difficulties with the electrical system. After about an hour and a half, they announced that we would be spending the night in Bangor, as the generator had to be replaced.
So we got off the plane, and (after an hour or so) on to buses, and headed to the Days Inn. Got there about 3:30 a.m. and paired up and headed to our rooms. The lady I was with was very nice, although I was alittle worried at first--as we were unpacking she was having some gastrointestinal issues ("oh, my...excuse me! I hope I don't keep doing that all night!") Needless to say, I was hoping the same. :-)
After a whole lot more showing up on time so we could sit around and wait, we headed back to the airport at about 2 p.m. on Saturday. We finally took off at about 8 p.m., headed for Liepzig, Germany. We were only on the ground for about an hour in Liepzig, then back onboard for the final leg--about five hours to Ali Al Salem, Kuwait. We landed at about noon local time, on Sunday, May 24th. They called for the baggage detail folk to deplane first, and we were assembled under the plane. (It was hot, but not horrible--the upside of the dryness here is that sweat evaporates almost instantly. So if I can be hot without dripping, I'm okay with that.)
I was standing there wondering exactly what we would be doing, and if the dryness could keep up with the amount of sweat I figured I would soon be producing, when they split us into two groups: military and civilian. And then sent the civilians to the (air-conditioned) buses, and let the military handle the detail there. Talk about getting off easy. I sat on the bus and tried to wrap my head around the fact that I was in Kuwait, and actually within probably a few hundred yards of my husband for the first time in nearly a year.
There are heavy, dark curtains on the buses to keep out the sun, and as I sat about four rows back, I saw through the windshield a pair of Asics, and some very familiar calves in tan pants...and jumped out of my seat and out of the bus, into his arms. We broke army regs long enough to give each other a long-overdue hug and kiss, and then had to be content to just walk together.
I was required to spend the night on base, and assigned a bed and a tent, but we spent the first part of the night in the MWR, dozing on an uncomfortable sofa in the middle of a loudly contested poker night. From there we went to the car, and put the seats back, cracked the windows and slept in the dessert dust.
Once we assembled at six a.m. and took care of some paperwork, I was allowed to leave with him, and got to see for the first time our home in Kuwait. So, at long last, I am here.
It is a very different world, but I'm sure you've heard enough for now. I will write again soon and tell you alittle bit about Kuwait--at least the small amount I've seen so far. I hope to get my boxes by Monday, so I will have my camera, which will be good. I've been feeling pretty lost without it. Then I will be able to include some pictures of the apartment, and eventually of Kuwait City.
I think of you all often, and with much love and appreciation. I am incredibly proud of my children, and the job they are all doing at carrying on and keeping the faith. I am praying for you, and know that you are praying for us as well.
Heartfelt appreciation and blessings upon you all...
Godspeed.
Melanie
Saturday, May 17, 2008
hey, sweet family and friends!
Greetings from Fort Benning, Georgia!
I am missing all of you terribly, but things are going well. Here's what I've done so far... The flight to Atlanta was uneventful, but bumpy! The pilot said there was no good air at any elevation, so we did a whole lot of bump-bounce-shimmy. Alittle unnerving, but nothing major. After we landed I walked about six miles (okay, maybe not. but close) before I finally figured out that I could ride the train. (When I started for the baggage claim area, the first sign was divided into two columns and on the top left it said, "Walk here" and under that it said "baggage claim". Have I mentioned that I'm a rule-follower? So, I walked.) And when I finally got down to where it said "600 meters" still to go, I stopped and read the signs for the trains (I know, you told me, Erica...just took me alittle while.) and got on and rode for the last little bit.
I've never been through Atlanta before, and it's a big place--the baggage claim for our flight had about 8 flights listed on the sign, and they would change from "arrived" to "bags on belt" as they got to them. One of my duffels came out almost immediately, and the other followed soon after, but the second one got hung up at the top of the discharge chute--something was caught in the belt, and it looked like it was the padlock that had gotten swallowed. Made for a big pile up which everyone else really appreciated, and I was afraid it was going to get ripped apart. Fortunately another army duffel came along and smacked some sense into it, and they both came careening down the slide and about knocked me over. Life is good. :-)
And thanks, Adam, for the advice to get a sky cap--I don't know if I would have tried to walk those bags all the way out Door# W-2 and across the street and down the hill to the ground transport area, but it would have been ugly. I piled them on the first cart I saw and didn't think twice about paying the guy $5 for three minutes--it was well worth it.
The ride to Columbus took about an hour and a half, and I slept much of the way. As far as I know, I didn't do anything embarrassing...and I don't plan to ask. After a bried stop in Columbus, the same driver took me on to Fort Benning. I got here about 7:30 p.m., and on the way realized I hadn't eaten anything all day--good thing I had my ReLiv. The driver dropped my bags at the front door, and I went in and was handed a map of the base with my building circled, and a pile of army bedding. So now I'm thinking, "hmmm...two fifty pound duffels, a messenger bag and a pile of bedding. This will be fun." Fortunately for me, when I went back in to explain that I would be leaving one of the bags and coming back for it, there was a new guy, and he told me about the carts that were just around the side of the building. Made life much easier, to say the least.
I found my room--talk about luxury! yeah, this ain't it. But it's fine--I walked down the lo-o-o-ng hall to #15, and went in to find two double sets of wall lockers, and two sets of metal twin beds. Both bottom bunks appeared to be claimed, so, yup--you guessed it. I'm on the top bunk. I used to run to grab a top bunk at summer camp. Apparently, I was nuts. The communal bathroom/shower is at the other end of the hall, of course, but that's okay. Anyway, I got my stuff moved into the lockers, and piled my bedding on the bed, and then did something totally out of character. Instead of curling up in a ball on my bed, I headed out to explore Fort Benning.
I found the dining facility, which was no small feat, and did my best to ignore the "No Hats in the Dinning Facility" sign. Apparently, they've eaten at our house. :-) So I did get to eat, and I while I was enjoying my salad and chicken noodle soup, a lady introduced herself to me and asked if I was with MSWA or WSMA or QRBP...I don't know. I've never heard so many acronyms in my life--sometimes I want to say, AYKM?? :-) Anyway, she is a former soldier on her way as a government employee to Kuwait. She'll be overseeing all the aspects of the contracts between the military and the four major contracting companies, one of which, of course, is ITT. She introduced me to a couple of other people, and we spent an hour or two walking around the base and talking, so that was nice. I told her she could come and have dinner with Dick and I once we get to Kuwait.
This morning we had our first ITT formation (thankfully, no calisthenics involved) and filled out lots of paper work. We had time to grab lunch, and then headed back to go through 300+ power point slides on everything from Cultural Awareness to Combatting Trafficking in Persons. Not that I actually learned anything, since the basic approach was, no test, no requirements--which meant that everyone just blazed through it all as fast as they could click. There might be some connection here to lack of effectiveness in the field, but I could be wrong. But I do know that I'm at least as well-trained and prepared as everyone else in the group. We're on our own for the rest of the day--have to report at 0700 tomorrow for several hours of "really cool" hostage videos. I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic about the "really cool" part.
We are scheduled to leave on Friday, May 23rd, although they won't give us any flight information until the last minute, as it is classifed. One thing I thought was pretty cool--I am actually considered a part of OIF, which is Operation Iraqui Freedom. Military experience minus boot camp--not a bad deal. Well, I'm sure you've probably heard enough, so I will close for now. To my children and grandchildren: thank you all so much for all you have done and continue to do to make this work for our family. I will forever carry in my heart the memory of your smiling faces through the glass at the airport, and I am so incredibly proud of you all. To all my dear friends: Thank you, too, for your prayers and love and support--I truly am the lucky one, and I love you all.
اذهب مع الله("Go with God")
Much love to you all...Mom/Melanie
Greetings from Fort Benning, Georgia!
I am missing all of you terribly, but things are going well. Here's what I've done so far... The flight to Atlanta was uneventful, but bumpy! The pilot said there was no good air at any elevation, so we did a whole lot of bump-bounce-shimmy. Alittle unnerving, but nothing major. After we landed I walked about six miles (okay, maybe not. but close) before I finally figured out that I could ride the train. (When I started for the baggage claim area, the first sign was divided into two columns and on the top left it said, "Walk here" and under that it said "baggage claim". Have I mentioned that I'm a rule-follower? So, I walked.) And when I finally got down to where it said "600 meters" still to go, I stopped and read the signs for the trains (I know, you told me, Erica...just took me alittle while.) and got on and rode for the last little bit.
I've never been through Atlanta before, and it's a big place--the baggage claim for our flight had about 8 flights listed on the sign, and they would change from "arrived" to "bags on belt" as they got to them. One of my duffels came out almost immediately, and the other followed soon after, but the second one got hung up at the top of the discharge chute--something was caught in the belt, and it looked like it was the padlock that had gotten swallowed. Made for a big pile up which everyone else really appreciated, and I was afraid it was going to get ripped apart. Fortunately another army duffel came along and smacked some sense into it, and they both came careening down the slide and about knocked me over. Life is good. :-)
And thanks, Adam, for the advice to get a sky cap--I don't know if I would have tried to walk those bags all the way out Door# W-2 and across the street and down the hill to the ground transport area, but it would have been ugly. I piled them on the first cart I saw and didn't think twice about paying the guy $5 for three minutes--it was well worth it.
The ride to Columbus took about an hour and a half, and I slept much of the way. As far as I know, I didn't do anything embarrassing...and I don't plan to ask. After a bried stop in Columbus, the same driver took me on to Fort Benning. I got here about 7:30 p.m., and on the way realized I hadn't eaten anything all day--good thing I had my ReLiv. The driver dropped my bags at the front door, and I went in and was handed a map of the base with my building circled, and a pile of army bedding. So now I'm thinking, "hmmm...two fifty pound duffels, a messenger bag and a pile of bedding. This will be fun." Fortunately for me, when I went back in to explain that I would be leaving one of the bags and coming back for it, there was a new guy, and he told me about the carts that were just around the side of the building. Made life much easier, to say the least.
I found my room--talk about luxury! yeah, this ain't it. But it's fine--I walked down the lo-o-o-ng hall to #15, and went in to find two double sets of wall lockers, and two sets of metal twin beds. Both bottom bunks appeared to be claimed, so, yup--you guessed it. I'm on the top bunk. I used to run to grab a top bunk at summer camp. Apparently, I was nuts. The communal bathroom/shower is at the other end of the hall, of course, but that's okay. Anyway, I got my stuff moved into the lockers, and piled my bedding on the bed, and then did something totally out of character. Instead of curling up in a ball on my bed, I headed out to explore Fort Benning.
I found the dining facility, which was no small feat, and did my best to ignore the "No Hats in the Dinning Facility" sign. Apparently, they've eaten at our house. :-) So I did get to eat, and I while I was enjoying my salad and chicken noodle soup, a lady introduced herself to me and asked if I was with MSWA or WSMA or QRBP...I don't know. I've never heard so many acronyms in my life--sometimes I want to say, AYKM?? :-) Anyway, she is a former soldier on her way as a government employee to Kuwait. She'll be overseeing all the aspects of the contracts between the military and the four major contracting companies, one of which, of course, is ITT. She introduced me to a couple of other people, and we spent an hour or two walking around the base and talking, so that was nice. I told her she could come and have dinner with Dick and I once we get to Kuwait.
This morning we had our first ITT formation (thankfully, no calisthenics involved) and filled out lots of paper work. We had time to grab lunch, and then headed back to go through 300+ power point slides on everything from Cultural Awareness to Combatting Trafficking in Persons. Not that I actually learned anything, since the basic approach was, no test, no requirements--which meant that everyone just blazed through it all as fast as they could click. There might be some connection here to lack of effectiveness in the field, but I could be wrong. But I do know that I'm at least as well-trained and prepared as everyone else in the group. We're on our own for the rest of the day--have to report at 0700 tomorrow for several hours of "really cool" hostage videos. I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic about the "really cool" part.
We are scheduled to leave on Friday, May 23rd, although they won't give us any flight information until the last minute, as it is classifed. One thing I thought was pretty cool--I am actually considered a part of OIF, which is Operation Iraqui Freedom. Military experience minus boot camp--not a bad deal. Well, I'm sure you've probably heard enough, so I will close for now. To my children and grandchildren: thank you all so much for all you have done and continue to do to make this work for our family. I will forever carry in my heart the memory of your smiling faces through the glass at the airport, and I am so incredibly proud of you all. To all my dear friends: Thank you, too, for your prayers and love and support--I truly am the lucky one, and I love you all.
اذهب مع الله("Go with God")
Much love to you all...Mom/Melanie
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